Post Office Act 1969

21 Rights and liabilities as to telegraphs

(1) On the appointed day, the rights and liabilities which, by virtue of the provisions of the Telegraph Acts which are not repealed by this Act, are enjoyed by, and incumbent on, the Postmaster General immediately before that day shall become those of the Post Office, and it shall become subject to the restrictions imposed by those provisions to which the Postmaster General is subject immediately before that day; and, accordingly.—

(a) on that day, so much of section 2 of the [1868 c. 110.] Telegraph Act 1868 as provides that the term " the company " in the [1863 c. 112.] Telegraph Act 1863 shall, in addition to the meaning assigned to it in that Act, mean the Postmaster General shall cease to have effect; and

(b) as from that day, references in the said provisions and in section 20 of the [1950 c. 39.] Public Utilities Street Works Act 1950 (which extends the powers exercisable under section 21 of the Telegraph Act 1863) to the company and to the Postmaster General (except references in such of those provisions as are expressly dealt with by the following provisions of this Act and except the first two references to the company in section 30 of the Telegraph Act 1863, the first three such references in section 33 of that Act, the ninth reference to the Postmaster General in section 6 of the [1878 c. 76.] Telegraph Act 1878, the first reference to him in the [1911 c. 39.] Telegraph (Construction) Act 1911 and the first reference to him in the [1916 c. 40.] Telegraph (Construction) Act 1916) shall be construed as referring to the Post Office, except so far as the context excludes such a construction, and the excepted references in the said sections 30, 33 and 6 and those in the two last-mentioned Acts shall be construed as including references to the Post Office.

(2) In this section "the Telegraph Acts" means the [1863 c. 112.] Telegraph Act 1863, the [1868 c. 110.] Telegraph Act 1868, the [1870 c. 88.] Telegraph Act 1870, the [1878 c. 76.] Telegraph Act 1878, the [1889 c. 34.] Telegraph (Isle of Man) Act 1889, the [1892 c. 59.] Telegraph Act 1892, the [1908 c. 33.] Telegraph (Construction) Act 1908, the [1909 c. 20.] Telegraph (Arbitration) Act 1909, the [1911 c. 39.] Telegraph (Construction) Act 1911 and the [1916 c. 40.] Telegraph (Construction) Act 1916.